(CEPAC, Suva, Fiji) – The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Mosese Vitolio Tui, SDB, currently serving in the Diocese of Auckland, New Zealand as the new Archbishop of Samoa-Apia. This announcement was published in the Daily Bulletin of the Holy See on June 12, 2024, at noon Rome time.

Bishop-Elect Reverend Mosese was born on November 9, 1961, in Moto’otua, Samoa. A native son of Samoa, Bishop-Elect Mosese started his religious formation with the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) in Auxilium College, Victoria, Australia. He made his first profession of vows on January 31, 198. His years of formation for the priesthood included teacher formation at the Australian Catholic University in Melbourne, Australia, and pastoral formation at Don Bosco Youth Centre and Hostel in Melbourne, Australia, and Moamoa Theological College in Apia, Samoa.  His years of seminary formation included the Pacific Regional Seminary in Suva, Fiji, the Catholic Theological College, and the Salesian Theological College in Melbourne, Australia.

Bishop-Elect Reverend Mosese was ordained priest on December 3, 1994, at Saint John Bosco Church, Sinamoga – Apia, Samoa. As a religious of the Salesians of Don Bosco, his priestly ministry included being an educator, formator, and parish priest.  He was the principal at Don Bosco Technical College in Alafua – Apia, Samoa, from 1997-2006 and the founding principal of Don Bosco College in Salelologa, Samoa, from 2011-2017. He was also Rector and Novice Master of the SDB at the Don Bosco Formation House in Suva, Fiji.  He served as parish priest of St. Francis de Sales Parish in Salelologa, Samoa, and from 2018 to the present as parish priest of St. Paul, Massey and Ranui Parish in West Auckland, New Zealand.

Bishop-Elect Reverend Mosese looks forward to coming home to the Archdiocese of Samoa-Apia and considers working with the priests his priority. “To work together with the priests is very important. Teamwork is key in our ministry,” says Bishop-elect Rev. Mosese.  The new archbishop of Samoa-Apia also considers reaching out to the community and working with the youth critical in his new leadership role. “I believe there is a strong presence of the youth in our churches in Samoa, but we need to reach out more and listen to them,” he emphasized.

The episcopal consecration of Bishop-Elect Reverend Mosese Vitolio Tui, SDB, is set for August 22, 2024, the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. “The Blessed Mother is so much a part of my vocation, of my life,” explains the Bishop-Elect on the significance of choosing August 22, 2024, Thursday, as his day of consecration.

The Episcopal Conference of the Pacific (CEPAC), congratulates and welcomes Bishop-Elect Rev. Mosese.  CEPAC also thanks the Reverend Giosuè Busti, Charge d’affaires, a.i., of the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See, Bishop Peter Brown, C.SS.R., Apostolic Administrator of Samoa-Apia, and Bishop Steve Lowe of Auckland, New Zealand where Bishop-elect Rev. Mosese worked as a parish priest before he was appointed the new archbishop of Samoa-Apia.